DLHK Banten Confirms No Toxic Gas Hazard Following Chemical Plant Explosion

To ensure environmental quality post-incident, Banten Provincial DLHK has deployed an environmental laboratory team to conduct monitoring and sample collection,” said Banten Provincial DLHK Head Wawan Gunawan to journalists on Tuesday (26/5/2026). “However, due to rainy conditions and field technical constraints, sample collection will be conducted tomorrow to ensure any potential environmental impacts from the incident are assessed,” he added.

DLHK Banten deployed an environmental monitoring team to verify the incident on-site. Field verification revealed a ruptured reactor outlet pipe during PT MCCI’s production process, spilling a mixture of water and terephthalic acid – a raw material for purified terephthalic acid (PTA), commonly used in textiles, plastic bottles, and downstream products.

DLHK Banten coordinated with Gegana, Brimob, Banten Regional Police, Cilegon District Police, local leadership forums (Forkopimda), and Cilegon City Environmental Agency to manage the incident and secure the affected area. Initial detection found no potential toxic gas hazards in the vicinity.

“Based on initial gas detector readings by Brimob and Cilegon City Environmental Agency, there are currently no identified toxic gas hazards or environmental emergency indicators posing a risk to nearby residents,” he stated.

DLHK Banten also held a coordination meeting with Cilegon Mayor and relevant parties, agreeing on follow-up measures including setting up a public complaint desk, PT MCCI’s internal investigation into the cause, and further investigations by authorities and related agencies.

“Banten Provincial DLHK will continue monitoring, coordinating, and overseeing the incident response to ensure compliance with environmental protection and management regulations,” he added.

Chemical Plant Explosion in Cilegon

Earlier, an explosion occurred at a chemical plant in Cilegon, Banten, producing billowing white smoke. A pungent odour spread around the plant area.

The explosion happened around 2:30 PM on Monday (25/5). Residents reported hearing the blast and sirens, with white smoke filling the surrounding area.

“All I felt was an explosion followed by sirens. It was from PT MCCI; the smell was like burning rubber around Gerem,” said local resident Faturrohmi to journalists on Monday (25/5).